Cannot delete file

[The Decemberists 0]

I was trying to download the orginal Wolfenstein 3D and thought I'd found it on SoulSeek. It ended up being nothing, but now i can't delete it.

 

When i try to delete it or move it I get the message - "cannot delete Wolfenstein 3D (Full Version) (1) (1): It is being used by another person or program. Close any programs that might be using this file and try again"

 

According to 'Who Lock Me?' the problem is that the file is being used by windows explorer somehow, so i don't know how to get rid of it.

 

The file isn't a virus or anything, but it's just sitting on my desktop tauting me...

 

Does anyone know how I can get rid of it?

 

Oh, and I'm using Windows XP if that makes a difference.

 

Thanks in advance

[LaParkaYourCar 0]

Reset your computer and then try again.

[The Decemberists 0]

First thing I did and I try it everytime I turn the pc on but i get the same message.

[LaParkaYourCar 0]

Oh...then I don't know.

[chaosrage 0]

try to delete it in safe mode. or reboot to Dos and delete it.

[evilhomer 0]

I ran into this problem with an .avi file a while ago, safe mode, reboot, etc didn't help, try them first, but if not, two things:

 

First: how I solved it. I opened notepad, typed in "good file" and the saved it with the exact name (extension included) and in the same folder of the file that was giving me trouble. This overwrote the bad file, freeing it up and allowing me to delete it. I have no logical explanation for why this worked. My computer still considered the file to be in use, so I shouldn't have been able to overwrite it. But it did work, so I didn't complain.

 

Second, in my research I found that this problem originates from a bug in the Windows XP system (assuming you're running windows XP):

 

Windows XP uses a file called shmedia.dll to buffer up details regarding media files, such as mp3 files and AVIs (video files). Whether you right-click and go to Properties or left-click and attempt to delete the file, shmedia.dll reads some of the data in the file. Under normal circumstances, this is okay, but if the file is damaged or incomplete (say, in the case of a terminated download), then shmedia.dll fails to release the file when you attempt to delete it. This is why Explorer reports that the file is in use.

 

It should be noted that this is a bug in the Windows OS file (shmedia.dll), not in your download manager.

 

 

To solve this, Microsoft has a program called " inuse.exe" . After installation of inuse, these are the steps:

 

1. create a new file in notepad, giving it exactly the same name as the bad file, but in a different directory

eg: The bad file's location is c:\bad\badfile.avi

Create the good file as c:\good\badfile.avi

 

2. open the command (DOS) prompt, type cd c:\program files\resource kit

(this is the default directory that inuse.exe installs to)

 

3. type "inuse" and enter. This will start the program

 

4. type " inuse c:\good\badfile.avi c:\bad\badfile.avi " and enter

 

5. restart

 

Inuse will then overwrite the bad file with the new good file as the computer is restarting before any programs begin running. I can't say how this will work. As I said, I overwrote the file without using "inuse.exe" so I didn't try it on my bad file, but I did a test run with two new files and it did overwrite the one it was supposed to, so I assume it works correctly.

 

DISCLAIMER: I am by no means a computer expert, I can't guarantee that this will work and/or if it will cause serious problems. I only know what I was able to research and what worked for me. As with any time you are downloading and installing programs and overwriting existing files, use common sense.